1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for storing and protecting loose leaf pages held in a notebook binder or pages of a bound book. More particularly, the present invention relates to storage and retention of binders for written documentation and computer disks used while operating computer programs stored on the (floppy) computer disks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As presently marketed and sold, most computer programs for business and home use include two separate parts, characterized as computer software. The first part is a magnetic medium on which a computer program is imprinted in a machine readable form. The magnetic medium, a computer or floppy disk in the case of most microcomputers, is read by the computer and loaded into computer memory. Once loaded, the program can be executed by the computer upon instructions supplied by the computer user.
The second part of computer software is written instructions used as a reference by the computer user, describing how to execute various functions of the program. These written instructions, or documentation, often in the form of loose leaf pages, are typically held in a standard three ring notebook binder including an outer cover and a retainer ring assembly, which assembly includes snap rings that open and close to receive new pages updating the written instructions. The notebook binders vary as to the amount of pages they hold. Often plastic sleeves for the floppy disks are provided which have holes to allow the user to keep the plastic sleeves secured in the binder by the rings, along with the written instructions.
The binder or book needs support in order to be shelved as one would shelve a book. Prior support devices are simply plastic, paper or linen bound slipcases which are open box-like structures which receive the binder and completely cover it leaving only the spine of the binder visible. Once sheathed in the slipcases, the binder or book can easily be shelved for storage and later reference. The slipcase further functions as a protection from dust that may damage any disks stored in the binder.
Though they are convenient, the prior art slipcases are intensive in their use of material, and therefore expensive, the entire book or binder being completely covered but for the spine. While the computer user is making reference to the pages of documentation, the slipcase is useless and must be placed somewhere out of the way. The slipcase also completely obscures any viewing of the front cover of the binder or book, which often has printed information applied thereto.
A binder for loose leaf documentation and computer disks, which displays the documentation pages, is seen in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 575,898 for Notebook for Storage of Computer Disks and Loose Leaf Documentation, the invention having common inventorship with the present invention.
Various storage cases for magnetic or floppy disks alone have heretofore been known. Examples are various patents issued to R. Egley, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,225,038 and 4,369,879, as well as U.S. Pat. No. Des. 251,273. It is also known to store magnetic disks in thermo-formed containers, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,755 to J. Hargis.
Composite loose leaf binders for storing written instructional materials and electronic components are seen in J. Gallaher, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,757. Gallaher also shows compartments that can be released from the binder. Binders for storing electronic components are also seen in J. Cooper, U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,537.
A two-compartment binder is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,799 to R. Fulton, Jr. One compartment receives a notebook and the other compartment receives plastic frames. U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,680 to P. Cimini shows an overlay cover or leaf in connection with a loose leaf notebook binder which separates documents into two different binders.
Easel-type binders are seen in K. Crawford, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,355,821; J. O'Brien, 4,033,652 and E. Petersen, 3,682,423. An easel binder showing a notebook that can be inserted into another notebook is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,740 to A. Bisberg.
An easel-type binder commercially available built along the principal shown in Crawford is also known. The commercially available binder has a fold line in the cover transverse to the binder ring assembly. The cover is folded to form an angle which supports the ring assembly at a raised or easel position.